I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the Rio Olympic Games which concluded last night.

There have been some stunning performances set against the backcloth of some dramatic and beautiful scenery.

It has been inspiring to watch athletes who have trained and prepared so hard for a long period of time compete for a gold, silver or bronze medal. There were moments of sheer joy as well as heartbreak and disappointment for some. The full spectrum of emotions were on display and there were plenty of interesting stories about how people had got to where they are today.

It has been an outstanding games for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It’s our best performance ever in terms of medal haul, as we finished second in the medal table with a total of 67 medals (27 gold, 23 silver and 17 bronze).

We are the first nation to increase the number of medals in the games that followed the ones that they hosted. It’s fantastic that Great Britain has continued the success of London 2012, an outstanding achievement. Our winning performances have been spread across 19 different sports and show the significant growth and development that has taken place since the 1996 Atlanta games. At those games Great Britain won just 15 medals (1 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze) and finished 36th in the medal table.

Many athletes in their interviews after winning medals talked about how they had been inspired to do what they do by performances they saw as a child by some past Olympic greats. My wish is that these games inspire a new crop of youngsters to get involved and committed to a sport. There are many qualities and skills to be developed from involvement in individual or team sports and the life skills gained can be used in both personal and professional lives.

I believe that the Olympics provided some insights for us all about how personal development, goal achievement and fulfilment of potential.

Here are a few thoughts on the subject:-

  • We are given countless examples of what’s possible with commitment, hard work, discipline and a determination to succeed.
  • Dreams do come true and you are never too old to achieve a dream – Nick Skelton won his first gold medal aged 58!
  • Success breeds success and creates momentum.
  • Confidence and positive mindset have a big role to play in goal achievement.
  • The input of a coach helps maintain focus, develop performance and the commitment to being the best you can be.
  • To achieve anything, sometimes you need to be able to perform under pressure, be prepared to continuously improve and learn from setbacks and mistakes.
  • Anything is possible if you are doing what you love with passion. We do best what we enjoy and feel passionate about.
  • Olympians focus on the things that they can control (control the controllables) and look for and apply marginal gains to give them the edge over their competitors.
  • There are fine margins in performance and results. Winning and losing can come down to the fraction of a second or a few millimetres.
  • Don’t quit too soon, keep going until the end of the race. It isn’t over until the very end. Some people save their best performance until last and the medal can be won with the last throw, jump or in the final few metres or seconds of a race or contest.
  • Some of the best athletes have been tested by challenges to reveal hidden strengths and potential to them. This kind of test helps to teach people how to cope with and bounce back from disappointment and adversity. It helps develop mental toughness and resilience.
  • Whatever you do in life, do it with enthusiasm, passion and commitment. Set your sights high, apply yourself and go for it.

This week, why not take a few moments out to reflect and think about what actions you can take to help achieve a goal that you have. If you haven’t taken any action yet towards achieving the goal, what will be your first step and when will you do this?

This week’s quotation:

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential, these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” Confucius

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